New trails for Glentress

More than £1m is to be spent on about 10 miles (16km) of new trails at a popular mountain biking spot in the Borders.

It is part of a wider £11.3m eco-cabins development being proposed at Glentress Forest near Peebles.

Forest Enterprise Scotland said the investment would keep the site “at the top of its game”.

Pre-planning applications for both the trails and the cabins have been submitted to Scottish Borders Council.

A two-day consultation event at Glentress Peel is being planned next month when mountain bikers and other visitors can give their feedback on the cabin and biking plans.

‘Positive exchanges’

Sallie Bailey, forest district manager with FES, said: “With the proposal to locate 56 of the new eco-cabins in the Buzzard’s nest location we need to replace the old skills area and existing ‘freeride’ trails.

“The plan is to bring the new trail features closer to the Peel building on the nearby hillside.

“Our mountain biking rangers, who are all keen riders themselves, have been meeting with many local biking interests and explaining the plans in greater detail.”

She said these had resulted in “very positive exchanges” about the plans.

“We’re really pleased to see that Katy Winton, the number two Enduro rider in the world from Peebles appears to be thrilled with the new biking investment,” she added.

“The new features will give riders more trail, more skills training and new descents, drop offs and tabletops with some Enduro type riding too.”

Neil Dalgleish, of Hillside Outside, the company which heads up the TweedLove biking festival and Tour O’The Borders said he thought the new trails would be of “huge benefit” to Glentress and the wider area.

“The design makes a lot of sense, and this development can help re-affirm the Tweed Valley’s reputation as the leading mountain bike destination in the UK,” he said.

“I’m sure TweedLove’s mountain bike events will make the most of the new trails and features – the future’s looking bright.”

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